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Specimen Gully Multi-Cache

Hidden : 3/14/2006
Difficulty:
1 out of 5
Terrain:
2 out of 5

Size: Size:   regular (regular)

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Geocache Description:

Visit an obscure historical site and discover a priceless treasure that survived the gold rush of 1851.

To avoid backtracking, please approach the initial location from the West via the Castlemaine/Harcourt road (A300/Midland Highway), and continue Eastward onto the A79/Calder Highway, where a left-hand turn will take you back to Harcourt.

Gold was first discovered in the Mount Alexander district on 20th July, 1851.

Christopher John Peters, a hutkeeper in the service of Dr. William Barker found the gold at Specimen Gully, which was part of Dr. Barker's "Mount Alexander" pastoral run in the area now known as Barkers Creek, about 5km NE of present-day Castlemaine.

John Worley, George Robinson and Robert Keen, all in the same employment, were immediately associated with him in working the deposits.

On the 1st September, 1851, John Worley wrote to "The Argus" indicating the precise situation of their workings as being about four miles from Dr. Barker's home station, and about one mile from the Melbourne Road, at the southernmost point of Mount Alexander.

Diggers rushed to Specimen Gully, thence to Golden Point, and soon the whole district was invaded by thousands searching for gold.

Within a month the alluvial bed of Forest Creek was being worked, with 8,000 miners on the field by the end of the year, and some 25,000 across the Mount Alexander diggings by March 1852.

Over time Castlemaine became recognised as one of the world's richest alluvial goldfields. The yield from the field was remarkable with a peak being achieved in 1852 when, in a six month period, a staggering 16,600 kg were shipped out of the district by Gold Escort and, in 1860, the figure was still as high as 140 kg a week.

While gold is now scarce in this area, some breathtaking and priceless treasures can still be found, one of which you will discover today.

To do so, use information gleaned from the above location to answer the following question:

Messrs. Peters, Worley, Robinson and Keen were granted a reward of how many pound each from the Government for their discovery ?

Let (abc) = The amount in pounds.

The cache is a 1 litre Sistema container hidden in the traditional manner, and is located 985m away at S 37° 01.[666+abc] E 144° 16.[109+abc].

The road narrows at the approach to GZ, so please park in the siding at the crest of the hill and walk the remaining 90 metres to locate the cache.

Additional Hints (No hints available.)